PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: RA President Robert Kocharyan visited the Armenian Center for Contemporary Art , to the opening ceremony of the international festival of alternative art entitled "Dream in the Dialogue". Art critics from Armenia, Austria, Germany and Italy participated in the festival, which is held for the sixth time in succession. Paintings will be presented within the framework of the festival till May 21, as well as the show of "One Shot, One Minute" and "In the Room" films will be organized. The "Spandara" experimental theater will stage a play performed by the motives of Simone de Bovouar's "Monologue" novel, and the "Pat" experimental theater will stage Jean Paul Sartr's same name story. Four prizes of $1,500 dollars each are set for the best works presented at the festival.

PRESIDENT’S AWARD: The annual award ceremony of RA President Robert Kocharyan took place on May 7. Robert Poghossyan and Sons Fund is the establisher of the award that is being held for the fourth year. As every year, the nominees received diplomas, cash awards ($5000) and a gold medal from the Poghossyans for their work done in 2003 .

"Reproduction Health" manual written by Razmik Abrahamyan and Gayane Avagyan received the president’s prize in the healthcare sphere.

Professor Ashot Sukiasyan’s "Dictionary of Synonyms" received the prize in the "Human Development and Humanities Values, Including Development of the Humanities" nomination. The president of the republic personally approached and handed the prize to the outstanding scholar.

Armenian artist Robert Elibekyan and poet Razmik Davoyan became the winners among the seven authors nominated for the Art and Literature nomination.

TWO PRIZES FOR ARMENIAN ACTORS: YEREVAN: Two out of four prizes of the "Vidlunya" International Theater Festival on monoplays held in Kiev on April 21-26 were given to Armenian actors Haik Zorikian and Aram Hovhannisian, reported Noyan-Tapan agency on May 11. Hakob Ghazanchian, Director of the "Armmono" international festival, told that Aram Hovhannisian, an actor of the Paronian’s State Musical Comedy Theater, was awarded with a prize for the "Rosinant" monoplay in the nomination "The Best Genre Synthesis", and Haik Zorikian, an actor of the Theater of Pantomime, was awarded for the play entitled "Take Care of Each Other, People" in the nomianation "The Best Actor Debut". According to Hakob Ghazanchian, actors of 15 countries participated in the festival with 18 plays. After the Kiev festival the Armenian actors received new invitations from Minsk, Moscow and Riga.

DAVID MALIAN’S 100 th ANNIVERSARY: The May 10 jubilee arrangement organized at the Theatre Worker’s Union of Armenia was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of People's Artist of Soviet Union David Malian. Since 1924 the actor worked in the National Academic Theatre after G.Sundukian, successfully presented about 150 characters. D.Malian also stood at the source of Armenian cinema, he played roles in "Pepo," "Zangezur," "David Bek," "Anahit" and other films. The memories about the creative way he passed and about his partners were presented by David Malian in the book entitled "Persons, Meetings."

According to Yervand Ghazanchian, Chairman of the Theatre Workers' Union of Armenia, D.Malian was one of the most outstanding figures of the Armenian theatre and cinema. "David Malian was a legend for my generation," Tigran Torosian, RA NA Deputy Chairman, said. In his estimation, the roles played by D.Malian have great importance, which remain unforgettable in the history of the Armenian cinema and theatre.

SOUNDS OF JIVAN GASPARYAN’S DUDUK IN ISTANBUL: Armenian duduk player Jivan Gaspsryan held a concert in the Yeni Meleq (New Angel) concert hall, in Istanbul on May 12, accompanied by 3 Turkish musicians in a hall that seats 2000 people. Before the concert in Turkey, Gasparyan was in Moscow, where he was the only foreign musician, at a concert devoted to President Putin’s inauguration.

FILM ABOUT PARAJANOV IN CANNES MOVIE FESTIVAL: Russian film, documentary work by Georgy Parajanov "I died in the childhood" has been included in the offical program of Cannes Movie Festival out of contest, reported Arminfo on May 12.

The 1-hour-long film is dedicated to film director Sergey Parajanov and was shot by his nephew. The film is presented in the form of the hero's confession. The film "I died in the childhood" gives a unique opportunity to spectators to see the only scene shot by Sergey Parajanov from the unfinished film "Confession," the funerals of the neighboring girl.